Leopold landau



L. LANDAU.

GORK

(No Model.)

Patented Aug. 10,1897.

ORNEY 1m: mums Unas ce. Haro-uma UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEOPOLD LANDAU, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

CORK.

SPEQIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,835, dated August10, 1897.

secano. 633,322. (No modem Be it known that I, LEOPOLD LANDAU, a citizenof the Republic of France, residing at Paris, in the Department'of theSeine and Republic of France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oorks, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to safety-Stoppers for bottles or like vessels.lVhen the same has been fixed upon the vessel and covered with seals7 itis impossible to refill the said vessel after it has been emptiedwithout breaking the seals or removing the stopper. The latter is,however, constructed in such a manner as to allow of a complete emptyingof the bottle or vessel to which it is applied. It will thus be easywhen making use of this stopper to discover' at once any fraud orattempt of fraud.

My invention is shown in detail in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure lis a vertical section of the neck of the bottle, showing myimproved stopperV therein in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan of thestopper with the interior mechanism and cap removed. Fig. 3 is avertical section of stopper. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are a side elevationandftop and bottom views of the movable piece. Fig. 61% is a bottom viewof a modification of the movable piece. Fig. 7 is a plan of the washer.Fig. Sis a plan of the cap. Figs. 9 and l0 are respectively a sectionand plan of the cap with its center plate removed; and Fig. l1 is avertical section of the neck of the bottle, showing the complete stoppertherein in operative position.

The stopper consists of a cylindrical tube A, of aluminium or othersuitable material, of which Fig. l shows a view in elevation, Fig. 3 alongitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a plan view. The upper part of saidtube is widened or flaring, and its lower part is provided internallywith ribs z. Its lower end is closed by a bottom piece P, in which anopening O is made which is fitted or not with a rubber washer D. Vhenthe stopper is in the vertical position, the edge of the opening C or ofthe rubber washer D serves as a seat for a ball B, which, according tothe material of which it is made, must be solid or hollow, so that itcan float in any kind of liquid. If

the ball B is made of rubber or some flexible material, the rubber`washer D at the bottom of the cylinder can be dispensed with, as theseating of said ball upon the edge of the opening O will form asufciently-tight closure under the influence of some outside pressure.

The diameter d of the ball B is slightly smaller than the distance Zbetween the inside ribs e. Therefore the ball will be guided by the ribsin the cylinder A.

Inside the cylinder A and above the floating ball B a piece E is placed,of which Fig. 4L shows a'view in elevation, Figs. 5 and 6, respectively,a plan view and a view from below, and Fig. 3 a sectional view on theline c y of Fig. This piece E, which is cylindrical yover the greaterpart of its elevation, ends slightly conical at its lower extremity. Thediameter c of its cylindrical part is slightly smaller than the insidediameter ci of the tube A, so that the piece E can move easily in thecylinder. A The conical part of said piece E can penetrate between theribs c' of the cylinder A, so that when the stopper is in a verticalposition the piece E rests upon the ball B, as shown in Fig. 3. A numberof conduits L, of any suitable cross-section, (circular, square, oval,&C.,) are formed through the piece E. At the lower part thereof theyhave their outlets at L', and laterally below the upper surface, whichis solid, they have their outlets at F. ln order to increase thecrosssection of said conduits Z, l can give them the shape a view frombelow of which is shown in Fig; 6a. The piece E can be made ofaluminium, tin, glass, earthenware, china, or other material. When atrest, the stopper beingin a vertical position, the piece prevents theball from being raised from its seat by the liquid that might rise intothe stopper or might remain therein after pouring out liquid. After theball B and the piece E have been inserted in the cylinder A, fitted outwith the bottom P, awasher K, (of which Fig. l shows a view inelevation, Fig. 7 a plan view, and Fig. 3 a sectionalv view on the liney of Fig. 7, (is fixed upon the upper widening by means of the clamps I,which pass over the edge and serve as supports for the same.

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Finally, the whole of the tube A and the view,) which is soldered orotherwise secured upon the upper edge of the cylinder A, under which itsrim M turns. constitutes the middle plate of the cap J, is made thinnerat the periphery H, so that it can easily be cut through by the point ofa i kind ofA rod or tool into the safety-stopper.

A rubber or cork sleeve S is placed frictionally upon the cylinder A, sothat its outside surface enters the neck of the vessel exactly as doesan ordinary cork. l

A view in elevation of the thus-completed stopper in its operatingposit-ion is shown in Fig. Il.

It is evident that in order to keep the stopper in the vessel and inorder that it cannot be removed without breaking the seals somewell-known process for setting seals of fixingbands can be used. As soonas the seals have been destroyed the vessel can be emptied by cuttingaway with a knife on the line I-I the plate N of the cap J. If afterthis has been done the vessel is inclined or inverted, the piece E willmoveinto contact with the washer K. The outlet-openings F will thenallow the liquid to run out, passing between the washer Y K and the c apJ after having passed successively between the ribs .c and through theconduits L.

It is obvious that in no matter what position the vessel is placed itwill be impossible to introduce any liquid therein. If it be tried toestablish a vacuum in the same, the ball B would immediately be pressedupon its seat, and, guided as it is by the ribs z, it could not beturned away from its axis.

My invention does not only create a safetystopper that guaranteesagainstl all fraud, but it has the advantage that when the bottle isuncorked or open it has the same aspect as if it were intact. Of courseI reserve the right to make the stopper of varying dimensions and of nomatter what materialaluminium, tin, glass, china, wood, dsc.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a bottle provided witha valve-seat in its neck, the passage above the valve-.seat beingwidened through a portion of its length, the combination of a ball-valvelocated in the passage and a reciprocating piece provided The part N,whichv with a passage for the liquid opening laterally through saidpiece, said piece being located above the ball-valve whereby it willrest in its lower position upon the ball to close the passage and whenin its upper position will release the ball and expose its lateralpassage in the widened portion of the neck of the bottle, substantiallyas described.

2. In a safety-stopper for bottles and similar vessels, the combinationwith a cylindrical tube provided with ribs on its lower part and havinga widened zone at its upper part, a ball-valve guided to and from itsseat at the lower end of the tube by said ribs, a movable piece in saidtube located above the ball and provided with conduits openinglaterally, said movable piece adapted when in its lower position to restupon the ball and hold it to its seat and when in its upper position tobring the lateral conduits into the widened zone of the tube to permitof the passage of liquid, substantially as described.

3. In a safety-stopper for bottles and similar vessels, a cylindricaltube in combination with a ball-valve adapted to close an opening at itslower end, and a movable piece located above the said ball-valve andprovided with conduits opening laterally against the sides of thecylindrical tube, s aid movable piece being adapted to rest upon theball when in its lower position and to uncover its lateral ports when inits upper position, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a safety-stopper for bottles and similar vessels, the combinationof a cylindrical tube and ball-valve therein adapted to close an openingat its lower end, a reciprocating piece in the tube located above theball-valve, a washer limiting the outward movement of said piece andcovering the upper surface of the piece and the cap covering the washerand secured to thev outer edge of the tube, the said reciprocating piecebeing provided with conduits opening laterally against the sides of thetube, which conduits are uncovered when the piece is in its upperposition against the washer and covered when in its lower positionagainst the ball, the center portion of the cap being removable topermit the outflow of the liquid.

In testimony whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

LEOPOLD LANDAU. [L

NVitnesses:

SAMUEL E. MoRss, EMILE WEIL.

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